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Trailer lights question - help |
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MuskokaCanada 
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Joined: July-19-2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Status: Offline Points: 59 |
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 Topic: Trailer lights question - helpPosted: August-14-2013 at 3:20pm |
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So I installed new lights on my '84's trailer and everything works correctly EXCEPT running lights. Turn signals, hazzard lights, brake lights all work. No running lights at all.
What have I done wrong? |
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TRBenj
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Joined: June-29-2005 Location: NWCT Status: Offline Points: 21186 |
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Posted: August-14-2013 at 3:29pm |
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If you have some functionality at each light, then you can rule out a bad ground. Flash/turn/brake use the same wires (yellow/green depending on side), so it sounds like those are wired properly.
The running lights use the brown wire on both sides. Did you hook them up correctly? |
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62 wood
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Joined: February-19-2005 Location: NW IL Status: Offline Points: 4527 |
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 1:06am |
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Get out the test light, turn your parking lights on and start testing with the "brown wire/light" pin in the truck side connector.
Might be a long shot, but make sure the bulbs aren't bad. What is the tow vehicle? does it have separate brake and turn signal light? (usually red lens/brake and yellow lens/turns) Did you use a wiring adapter to tap into the vehicle's harness? |
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MuskokaCanada
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 8:52am |
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I don't think I have the brown wire running to both sides, which must control the running lights.
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audiodude
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Joined: November-19-2012 Location: Badin Lake Status: Offline Points: 308 |
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 9:53am |
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AS stated above are you sure you don't have separate wires for each light. My Jeep Liberty uses separate brake, tail and tun signal wires unlike most american cars. |
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2000 Ski Nautique 1989 Correct Craft 2001
In the words of Milton Berle: "You can lead a man to Congress but you can't make him think" |
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MuskokaCanada
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 10:44am |
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My tow vehicle is a Ford explorer adrenalin.
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P71_CrownVic
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Joined: July-07-2008 Location: SD Status: Offline Points: 534 |
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 11:43am |
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I'm not sure if Ford is smart enough to do this, but on my GM tow vehicles, the running light circuit and brake/turn circuit were controlled by two separate fuses. On my trailer, if I had a short somewhere, it would always seem to pop the running light fuse in the vehicle. And if your 4-ways work, then your turn and brake will work too. Same exact circuit. I think the trailer is fine, check your fuses. |
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Air206
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 12:24pm |
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Check the truck side of the plug....... then the trailer plug. Crossed wire or ground will blow a fuse as suggested. Also, you didn't say if you were going to LEDs. A shorted LED will cause electrical ghosts.... If they are LEDs, make sure ALL LEDs are lit...remove a non-working one from the circuit and recheck. |
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Mojo
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 12:51pm |
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Guys, if there's only one wire running down each side, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's what the problem is.... 
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05' SV211 TE
73' Martinique had:96' SNOB had:76' Nautique had 77 Tique |
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62 wood
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 1:29pm |
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While I've seen it the other way, I think most trailers have one brown wire running to back, then another brown wire crossing between the tail lights. |
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Air206
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 1:32pm |
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Ok..... Think think we have gone through the gambit of guesses...
Bring us home Will, bring us home! |
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Air206
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 1:36pm |
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Since MOST 84 trailers have A-frame and fender running lights... should have brown wires down each side. And of, course make sure grounds are good at those lamps..... |
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MuskokaCanada
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Posted: August-15-2013 at 2:08pm |
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I'm at work right now and can't check. I'll have a look in a few hours and see what I've done but I KNOW there isn't a wire running across between the two tail lights.
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MuskokaCanada
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Posted: August-26-2013 at 8:08am |
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Ha! So it turns out I had the trailer wired correctly. The problem was at the truck end which I found out after hooking up my new 2013 F150.
 I also added a post for a winch and a turnbuckle mount to the trailer, cleaned and repacked the wheel bearings, and replaced the coupler because it was getting too difficult to engage it. Thanks for your input guys. |
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P71_CrownVic
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Posted: August-27-2013 at 1:15am |
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So what was it on the truck? Was it the fuse like I thought it was? |
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GMacLaren
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Joined: August-22-2013 Location: St. Louis, MO Status: Offline Points: 495 |
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Posted: September-09-2013 at 8:48pm |
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I was going to suggest something I just learned about the new LED lamps. I putzed around for about half a day rewiring my nav. lights -- before learning the LEDs have a polarity! What's this world coming to? A little running light has POLARITY!
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lewy2001
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Posted: September-09-2013 at 9:17pm |
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A LED is a diode 
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If you're going through hell, keep going
89 Ski <a href="http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5685" ta |
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jdewayne
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Posted: September-10-2013 at 1:48am |
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I just had same problem on my 85 trailer. I did not replace lights though. My problem ended up being on my truck. I checked the plug at my truck and the running light spot was not hot when running lights were on. Traced it back and the wire that was placed there was not hot. We taped into hot wire for running lights and attached that. Problem was solved. Might look into that. Hopefully my explaining was ok.
JD now a "Groupie" |
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OverMyHead
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Joined: March-14-2008 Location: MN Status: Offline Points: 4861 |
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Posted: September-10-2013 at 1:56am |
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I keep one of these in the glove box. Currently $3.79 at harbor freight. Speeds up the diagnosis process of truck vs. trailer wiring.
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For thousands of years men have felt the irresistible urge to go to sea, and many of them died. Things got better after they invented boats.
1987 Ski Nautique |
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OverMyHead
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Posted: September-10-2013 at 1:59am |
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Super-sized !!
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For thousands of years men have felt the irresistible urge to go to sea, and many of them died. Things got better after they invented boats.
1987 Ski Nautique |
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jdewayne
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Posted: September-10-2013 at 2:43am |
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Very nice.
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8122pbrainard
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Posted: September-10-2013 at 5:55am |
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62 wood wrote: